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Review: Moco Moco Friends (Nintendo 3DS)

There are plenty of games out there that share the defining mechanics
Pokémon has perfected over the years; collecting, training, and battling monsters.
With the likes of Yo-Kai Watch putting a uniquely Japanese spin on the little JRPG
subgenre, Moco Moco Friends feels like the logical extension of that motif
(albeit, a niche one for western markets). Its “magical girl” theme governs all
facets of the game design from narrative through to presentation and proves
that a change of theme and pace can uplift fairly standard execution elsewhere.

As the protagonist of a magical
girl game, the eponymous Moco, looks the part with her classical pink witch
outfit. Her characterisation takes pages out of Sailor Moon’s book with her naïve,
trusting nature but trades Usagi’s crybaby tendencies for a downright infectious
level of optimism. She’s even decked out with a cat wand appropriately named
Neko, who plays the equivalent role of Kero from Cardcaptor Sakura as the
heroine’s snide but caring companion.

The dynamic between them results
in some wonderfully cheeky script writing that is a definite highlight of the entire
experience. Moco’s blindly cheerful disposition works brilliantly when
juxtaposed against the judgmental Neko and her mentor. Although the cast is
reasonably small, even side characters such as a giant blue dog manage to breathe
life into exposition-heavy sequences with gags about doggy hair loss from vigorous
petting. As the genre is wont to do, this pleasantly light-hearted fluff winds up
being the ambassador of a greater a coming of age story centred on Moco’s
growth (which does justify her stereotypically ditzy behaviour a tad). As a
side note, I have to give props to Aksys Games for providing a localisation
that, although designed for the kids, acknowledges the otaku appeal this game
has by respecting the original character names working in clever nods
youngsters will likely scratch their heads at.

As for the breed of creature game tasks players with collecting,
that would be Plushkins; cutesy animals with inexplicably aggressive tendencies
that professional witches such as Moco must rescue from negativity. Whenever
there’s a lecture on how Plushkins and witches operate, there’s an underlying
sense of mystery to keep players engaged. This is no Madoka Magica, to be sure,
but unearthing and analysing the more disquieting undertones to this game’s jolly
world should provide older players ample reasoning to press forward.

And that’s a good thing because the RPG elements might not
pull that off on their own merits. As far as actual mechanics go, Moco Moco won’t
be rivalling the aforementioned Yo-Kai Watch or Pokémon as its gameplay lacks
the same depth, scope, and polish offered by either title. Although Moco Moco’s
world is a heavily stylish wonderland conceptually and based on the musings of
NPCs, there aren’t particularly memorable locales since the traversable world is
almost nonexistent. Not every JRPG needs a bustling overworld, but I do believe greater
exploration would have enhanced the atmosphere the game tries to achieve and, by
extension, the effectiveness of its narrative.

The lack of excitement on the
overworld front would be negligible if dungeons were able to create the sense
of wonder that punctuates the magical girl theme, but that’s sadly not the
case. Said dungeons play out similarly to roguelikes… if those commonly featured
seatbelts, training wheels and parental supervision, that is. The vast majority
of them are hyper-speed affairs with a handful of floors sprawling a fraction
of the estate you’d expect. Things do eventually pick up towards the game’s climax,
but by then it’s too little too late. Streamlining a potentially treacherous pastime
for a youth audience is one thing, but I suspect any child that can fully parse
the script will hunger for a more satisfying meal.

I will give Moco Moco Friends credit for providing a
coherent approach to item crafting. As someone who tends to dodge said mechanic
in RPGs as much as humanly possible, its systems are reasonably deep and
well-explained. You might not need to use them a whole lot, but they’re
certainly accessible and worth tinkering with.

Finding and battling the cutest
Plushkin within each dungeon is infinitely more entertaining than enhancing
your trinkets, however. The name “Plushkin” speaks volumes about the inherent
cuteness of the race, but it’s worth noting that the many varieties of them are
reasonably well thought out takes on mythology and the like. The worst that can
be said is that you’ll wish they were all unique; some monster designs are
slapdash re-colours with different types assigned to them.

Plushkin skirmishes are typically three
on three affairs remarkably similar to Pokémon’s triple battles in that you’re commanding
your pals in turn-based style, taking advantage of your opponent’s type
weaknesses, and picking attacks based on how many opponents you can strike at
once. You’ll even have opportunities to evolve your adorable animals and teach
them more potent attacks as you go. Although it’s easy enough to progress the
story by mashing attacks willy nilly or through the handy auto-fight command, the
battles are high-octane and oozing excitement. Expect them to go down with
children splendidly.

As a whole, the game features immaculate presentation and boisterous
colour schemes that make each dungeon feel like an adventure of its own. Heck,
every last menu reeks an aura of extravagance through choice colour palettes and
dazzling patterns that sometimes border on kaleidoscopic. Perhaps that’s why
Moco Moco Friends is able to remain entertaining for the entirety of its
campaign despite its many technical shortcomings.

Moco Moco Friends is geared firmly toward young children,
but the magical girl aesthetics and witty script allow it to transcend an
otherwise middling JRPG. It wouldn’t have hurt to take a couple more cues from the
collect-and-battle RPG greats and, with a sequel, Moco Moco Friends could be
elevated substantially. As is, there’s something to be said for the pure, clean
fun Moco delivers in spades.

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